Trailer and dozens of kennels stolen from local dog rescue group

A trailer and dozens of dog kennels stolen before a big trip that gives local dogs a chance at a better life. The trailer was meant to transport rescue dogs up north to be adopted, but the theft has only put the group in a bind.

Author:
KENS Staff

Published:
4:31 PM CST December 6, 2018

Updated:
6:29 PM CST December 6, 2018

A trailer and dozens of dog kennels stolen before a big trip that gives local dogs a chance at a better life. The trailer was meant to transport rescue dogs up north to be adopted, but the theft has only put the group in a bind.

"We had a small trailer that we use for holding kennels to transport and hold foster dogs," said Dr. Emily Basten who is a veterinarian for Bexar County. She and Lauren Barrios run Hand-Me-Down Hounds, which works closely with the Kirby-Bexar Animal Facility.

Bexar County allows the rescue to use the space to house the dogs. Barrios told us,"Without them letting us use the facility, I don't think we would be able to make the transport as often as possible." Dr. Basten added, "Last week Wednesday we were working on a dog doing surgery until around 9 or 9:30 at night."

They were working on a Great Pyrenees named Winston. He was hit by a car and needed a partial leg amputation. But they say that night is when a Christmas Grinch got his or her paws on something that wasn't theirs.

Those that work at the shelter say the thieves were able to get through a fence by breaking off a lock and swiping the trailer that was full of kennels. The trailer was found this afternoon but had to be towed. What wasn't found, were the dozens of kennels inside. Barrios told us, "The kennels that were stolen were used for dogs to hang out in." To hang out during their journey to Wisconsin where they'll find new homes. "They are still leaving Saturday but it is a little bit harder to have to, last-minute, find kennels for them to be put in," she said.

Dr. Basten added, "We are a small rescue. We are nonprofit, so we have to raise all the funds that we have, and we had a lot of the kennels donated, so we really have to start from scratch there."